One of my extroverted friends who I consider a very deep, spiritual, Jesus-lover person asked me what I thought about solitude and the extrovert. I've been pondering this for days. Yes, extroverts do ponder. A well-respected author and speaker said at a seminar I attended, "A person cannot hear from God unless they are in silence and solitude." I don't think this person meant to sound so extreme. I mean, God can speak to anyone anytime. Paul, walking to Damascus in a group, saw a vision and heard Christ. So it can happen!
For me personally, I have experienced some pretty clear, "Lisa, I have something to say moments" when I've been around other people. God also uses people to "speak" to me. I've been in a noisy room and definitely gotten a message from on High.
In my doctoral research project, the week we discussed silence and solitude was framed in a the theme, "The Tongue." I thought that was funny! I had has my learning objectives for that session:
- The participants will see the indispensable value of taking time for silence.
- The participants will consider evaluating their words and controlling their words at certain times while this does not devalue their need to process verbally and be energized through being with people.
- The participants will see how silence can be practiced for shorter lengths of time or even with with others, and God can use this silent time in a formative way in the person's life.
If you'd like more on that session, just shoot me an email.
The approach I took was not just to focus on the image of going off alone to a cabin in the mountains, sitting on a rock and thinking or praying but rather controlling one's tongue. It seems to me there are more biblical passage about controlling our words rather than being alone in a still, silent place. One of my issues with the whole idea is that it is perfectly plausible to go to retreats, walk alone in the forest by a stream, have space in your home to for solitude and silence if you are a middle-to-upper class Western world dweller. Most humans on the planet don't have that luxury. I tried to think of solitude and silence not just in the particularly American Christian world but for the rest of the Christ-followers on earth. How does one practice silence and solitude in those places?
I am blessed. I live in a spacious house (and now the kids are off and married and my husband is an introvert), on a quiet neighborhood, a low-populated state minutes from the Rocky Mountains. I also have the financial means to say to my husband,"Okay, I'm 'outta here." I don't take this for granted. At the same time, I can only take a few hours of that silence and solitude. I get all these thoughts from the Lord, get excited about what the Word and have this desire to TELL SOMEONE or at least journal it. That was the key for me.....have a shorter time and share about it with someone else. The loop would then be complete.
When I review my life, I have spent a lot of time in solitude and silence. While my kids were still around, I rolled out of bed at 5 or 5:30am and headed to what my husband affectionately called, "the cave" in the basement. I remember great times with the Lord. And especially Alex, our youngest son, remembers my enthusiasm and chattiness about what I'd learned as he ate his oatmeal. (FYI-I often made a smiley face in his oatmeal with raisins, blueberries or strawberries.) Another question to ponder, "Are all extroverts morning people?" Probably not.
There is something attractive even to a people-person like me when I read from Jesus Calling, "Meet me in morning stillness, while he earth is fresh with dew of My presence. Worship Me in the beauty of holiness. Sing love songs to My holy Name. As you give yourself to Me, My Spirit swells within you till you are flooded with divine Presence."
The approach I took was not just to focus on the image of going off alone to a cabin in the mountains, sitting on a rock and thinking or praying but rather controlling one's tongue. It seems to me there are more biblical passage about controlling our words rather than being alone in a still, silent place. One of my issues with the whole idea is that it is perfectly plausible to go to retreats, walk alone in the forest by a stream, have space in your home to for solitude and silence if you are a middle-to-upper class Western world dweller. Most humans on the planet don't have that luxury. I tried to think of solitude and silence not just in the particularly American Christian world but for the rest of the Christ-followers on earth. How does one practice silence and solitude in those places?
I am blessed. I live in a spacious house (and now the kids are off and married and my husband is an introvert), on a quiet neighborhood, a low-populated state minutes from the Rocky Mountains. I also have the financial means to say to my husband,"Okay, I'm 'outta here." I don't take this for granted. At the same time, I can only take a few hours of that silence and solitude. I get all these thoughts from the Lord, get excited about what the Word and have this desire to TELL SOMEONE or at least journal it. That was the key for me.....have a shorter time and share about it with someone else. The loop would then be complete.
When I review my life, I have spent a lot of time in solitude and silence. While my kids were still around, I rolled out of bed at 5 or 5:30am and headed to what my husband affectionately called, "the cave" in the basement. I remember great times with the Lord. And especially Alex, our youngest son, remembers my enthusiasm and chattiness about what I'd learned as he ate his oatmeal. (FYI-I often made a smiley face in his oatmeal with raisins, blueberries or strawberries.) Another question to ponder, "Are all extroverts morning people?" Probably not.
There is something attractive even to a people-person like me when I read from Jesus Calling, "Meet me in morning stillness, while he earth is fresh with dew of My presence. Worship Me in the beauty of holiness. Sing love songs to My holy Name. As you give yourself to Me, My Spirit swells within you till you are flooded with divine Presence."
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